


Until Next Year..

by TheSunEater



Category: Naruto
Genre: Aha I'm uploading a few oldies, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, a lot of - Freeform, or sasuke x naruto, really minor sasuke x Sakura reference, sasuke x Uchiha clan angst, um yeah have fun tw for reference to the clan but it's pretty vague so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 20:11:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12092550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSunEater/pseuds/TheSunEater
Summary: A simple ceremony, but one the Uchiha had grown used to doing with Naruto present, what could the difference be? [Sasuke-centric]





	Until Next Year..

**Author's Note:**

> This can be taken as any pairing really. It's set postwar!  
> Sasuke is paying tribute in a ritual that some do for their deceased relatives in Japan. Just some (angsty?) reflection and a bit of Naruto appreciation!  
> Hope you enjoy!

The day had come to visit the graves, the numerous and few that stood special. To honor them and to reopen his old, never _fully_ healing wounds.  
It was the one time of year when Sasuke would not complain about dressing in his formal robes. The stark white of the material bringing out the gaunt panes of his faces in a way that he took care to not think of.  
The _last_ Uchiha..  
The burden of that title always became a tad heavier with each passing year.  
Now that he held the title of Clan Avenger, he'd hoped the burden would lessen, but it never did..  
Instead, it shifted and changed, morphing into a longing. A deep longing not even he _really_ understood.  
"Naru-.." The call stopped as soon as it had start, his lips closing as his outstretched fingers curled into a fist. He turned back to the water as he swallowed, a sense of dread filling him.  
_That was right_.  
The dobe wasn't here this year. Konoha had taken that small comfort from him as well, with a simply assigned mission.  
"This is how it's supposed to be anyway.." He reassured himself quietly as he licked his lips, toying with the lantern in his hands. The Uchihas, and _only_ the Uchihas..  
He was supposed to be strong enough, sturdy enough to handle this. After all..  
What were mere ghosts after he'd fought monsters, armies, even warhawks, and himself..?  
"Nothing.." At least, that's how it'd seemed when Naruto had been behind him every year..  
Now, here, as he released lantern after stupid lantern into the pitch black water? He could feel them, feel the victims crying, tugging him closer.  
And oh, _oh_ how he wanted to go with them.  
Back to the days where his most important mission was watching for Itachi to come home from a mission. Back to when his biggest puzzle was why he couldn't match Itachi or gain his father's love..  
"...!" The feeling of longing swelled and stuttered as he took quick, sloppy steps forward. He even stretched a lean arm out toward a lantern as it faded into the night.  
As he stopped and his shoulders sagged, he remembered what Naruto had said the first time he came with him. The time he'd grabbed his forearm so roughly that he'd bruised for a week..

* * *

"It's beautiful.." He'd grinned, his blue eyes crinkling as he had struggled to keep the sadness out of his expression. "But it scares me..!"  
Sasuke swallowed as he recalled the way the blond had turned away, whispering in a way that had left him wondering if he was _meant_ to hear the last bit. "It's like they were gonna take you along with them.."

* * *

Sasuke shivered at the way he'd basically walked into this self-fulfilling conundrum. He'd sworn to Naruto that he'd be fine, after all he'd done this for years before the dobe had begun coming with him, but here he was..  
Waist deep in freezing water, his hand still half outstretched for the family he could hardly remember half of.  
" _Tch_." He snapped his arm to his side, the lost expression fading from his face as he grit his teeth and straightened.  
_He had no time for this.._  
There was more important matters to attend to. The present.  
A family awaiting him, friends that'd give him hell if they saw him, paperwork to finish, small things, but _important_ things none the less..  
Normalcy. He had to return to it, for without the Uchihas, no, the _Uchiha_ , who knew what horror could befall..?  
"I'd best go, before we find out.." He whispered, before turning back to the barely visible shore.  
"Until next year.." He called, shutting his mind to the horrors that had befallen his clanfolk for another time. As Naruto's trusted friend, as a father, and as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, Sasuke Uchiha had no time for such frivolous things anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like this fic? Want to support me or commission a piece? Check out my twitter and PayPal, linked on my profile!
> 
> Thanks for reading, all love is appreciated!


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